It's Time!

I just love words....don't you?

They can make you laugh, cry, sing, shout and so many other emotions...

they can also scare you and made you sad....

 

!!!!CANCER!!!!

12 years ago...

I heard these words come out of my doctor's mouth...

I was stunned....

Never been in the hospital, never had surgery...pretty much healthy as a horse...

Within 2 months I had had three surgeries, lost my right vocal cord, ate thru a tube inserted in my stomach and was scared about my future.

 

Cancer can hurt you financially, spiritually and emotionally...

 

BUT SOMEONE GAVE ME A CARD TO READ

and I still read it all the time...

and when I found the panel below in my LQS

I knew I had to make a wall hanging out of it for my sewing room...

with bright cheerful fabrics, full of hope and fun...

 

 

 

WHAT CANCER CANNOT DO....

 

It cannot corrode faith....

(It put a small dent in it at first,

until I reminded myself that God did not do this to me, he helped through it)

 

It cannot shatter hope....

(It's been 12 years and I still hope to sing again some day.  I go sit in the choir loft at church just in case something comes out.)

 

It cannot conquer the spirit....

(I still get up every morning and go to work, I still teach classes at the quilt shop)

 

It cannot stifle laughter...

(Well, throat cancer can, but only on the outside.  I still laugh in my head)

 

It cannot invade the soul...

(There's no room for it in the soul....I am all filled up with God's love)

It cannot erode confidence...

( I still do my job everyday, despite the fact that most people have trouble hearing me)

It cannot kill friendship...

(It made friendship stronger, I couldn't make it without God and my friends)

It cannot erase memories...

(Still intact and some more vivid than others)

It cannot cripple love...

(I still love things with the same passion I had before cancer)

 

It cannot silence courage...

( I know that it may come back, but I will deal with it when it happens)

It cannot steal humor.

(I have found that people either whisper back to me or scream at me.  I ask them why they are whispering or tell them "I can't talk, but I hear just fine."  After they get through apologizing I make them laugh by telling them to relax, it's no big deal)

It cannot destroy peace...

(Only I can let it do that and I refuse)

 

To those of you who are fighting cancer everyday....you are my heroes....you are my inspiration...you are in my prayers. I am not making light of cancer, but I refuse to let it dominate my thoughts.

 

Cause you see...

Cancer is a pretty scary six letter word...

but it is, afterall, just a word...

not a state of mind!

 

Everyday, I get up, accept the fact that I have had it and may have it again....

and then I go out and dance!

 

Because, just for today, I am still cancer free!

 

Now drop me a note...tell me your story...and I will surprise one lucky person with one of my

"SMILE" bags with a few surprises in it when the hop is over!

 

 

Oh!  A huge thank you to Linda at Buzzing and Bumbling

and Madame Samm at Sew We Quilt

for hosting this fun event!

 

God Bless You!

Martha

 

and go visit all the other wonderful bloggers who love words....

Monday, January 7

Stitch, Stitch, Stitch, Stitch (Cyndi H.)

Kwilty Pleasures (Kathy G.)

Debby Kratovil Quilts (Debby K.))

Sew Darn Quilt (Carolyn R.)

Mary On Lake Pulaski (Mary K.)

Traveling Quilter (Debbie A.)

Just Let Me Quilt (Carol S.)

Vroomans Quilts (Sharon V.)

Cate's Linens (Catherine R.)

Nini and the Sea (Denise)

Sew Much 2 Luv (Karen)

Tuesday, January 8

Piece Peace (Patricia G.)

A Stitch in Time (Patty D.)

krislovesfabric (Kris T.)

Marjorie's Busy Corner (Marjorie)

Grandmamas Stories (Jane H.)

Mrs. Pickles Garden (Hayley)

Patchouli moon Studio (Daryl P.)

Till We Quilt Again (Helen E.)

The Slow Quilter (Felicia F.)

Quilting With Terry and the Cats

Wednesday, January 9

Kathy's Quilts (Kathy W.)

Sunshine Quilting (Martina S.)

Sew Incredibly Crazy (Amy)

Quilt Doodle Doodles (Cindy S.)

Doodling in My Mind (Darla R.)

I Like to Quiltblog (Bente)

Michelle's Romantic Tangle (Michelle M.)

Grammie Q's (Charlotte M.)

Dancing Moon (Carla B.)

(Betty V.) at “that other blog”

The Fuzzy Hat Quilter (Laura Ann)

Thursday, January 10

Life in the Scrapatch (Pat B.)

Just Sew Sue (Sue B.)

Nati's Little Things (Nati)

Amy's Crafty Shenanigans (Amy)

Pig Tales and Quilts (Thearica)

Scrappy 'n Happy (Jess R.)

Little Mushroom Cap (Amira A.

Moosestash Quilting (Joan K.)

Sowing Stitches (Beulah aka. Carol)

Just Quilt It (Kathy G.)

Friday, January 11

Jane's Fabrics (Jane R.)

Jane's Quilting (Jane C.)

Nuts 4 Redwork (Heide W.)

Cherry Blossoms Quilting Studio (Cherry G.)

Bits and Pieces (Martha R.)

Life in Every Breath (Jennifer B.)

Quilting Lines (Patricia L.)

Travel Thru Greece (Mara)

Meadowbrook (Kristen K.)

Count It All Joy! (Denise P.)

Sophie Junction (Sophie W.)

Monday, January 14

Gracie Oliver Arts (Jeanie)

Clothes and Crafts (Maria K.)

Cherrys Prairie Primitives (Cherry E.)

Simple Sew (Shirley T.)

Woolie Mammoth (Anna B.)

RocknQuilts (Mary Ann)

Celynn's Sunflower Patch (Celynn)

A Quilting Sheep (Amy)

Sane and Crazy Quilting (Cathy L.)

Quiltsmiles (Jane E.)

Feathered Nest Studio(Jennet)

Tuesday, January 15

BQuiltin Studio (Beverly K.)

Hill Valley Quilter (Britt-Inger)

Bumbleberry Stitches (Theresa K.)

Buzzing and Bumbling (Linda W.)

In Stitches and Seams (Annette S.)

Englating (Marica from Sweden)

Stitchin by the Lake (Marlene B.)

Selina Quilts (Selina)

Sheila's Quilt World (Sheila M.)

Words & Stitches (Beth S.)

Sew Mollie Sue, Quilt Much? (Pamela A.)

Wednesday, January 16

My Collection of Things (Jeni K.)

Quiltin' Jenny (Jenny)

Shade Tree Quilting (Judy C.)

(Rosemary B.) at “that other blog”

Pat Sloan, The Voice of Quilting (Pat. S.)

Dachsies With Moxie (Agnes B.)

Sew Many Yarns (Lyndsey M.)

Tomorrows Treasures Today (Denise D.)

The German Mom (Tina S.)

Christa Quilts (Christa W.)

Read, Quilt, Cook, Pray (Aletta D.)

Sew We Quilt (Mdm. Samm)

 

Well the shop is almost back in order....

Brenda and I made it back from the Quilt Festival at 1:00 a.m. Monday morning and we were two tired little puppies....but man did we have fun.....

 

I was busy looking at booths but Brenda took a few minutes to sit down and talk with Tim, one of our fabric reps and Diane Springer.  Isn't her booth fun!  Check out her website for cute ideas to use your scraps.  She is great!

 

I was checking out all the Riley Blake booths.  Don't you just love all the colors and cuteness!

 

Even when your feet are killing you, you can't help but smile.

 

We stopped and couldn't help but buy patterns from Laura Blanchard at Plum Tree Quilts!

 



I really can't wait to try the batik table runner and the 3D quilt called Shadowplay.

 

And the Adorn It booth.....

OMG

so cute....

I bought this purse....I have someone very special in mind to make it for!



 

And then....I was stopped dead in my tracks....wow....

Phillips Fiber Art

 

 

Are they beautiful or what?

 

Well folks....it is time to go do what I do everyday in order to afford to do the things I want to do everyday!  Translation:  My boss expects me to come to work everyday!

But I am so blessed!

Be sure you start watching the Mama's Quilt Shop website to see all the new products we picked up at market.



Off to Houston....

It is 6 a.m. here in Louisiana and I am finally finishing up packing and getting everything ready to leave for Houston in about 3 hours.  I just know I have forgotten something....oh well....there will be plenty in Houston for me to see and buy!

 

This beautiful quilt was started in Florida, but it is finished now!  And Brenda will have the kits in Houston.  Stop by our booth #653 and tell Brenda you seen it on our blog.  You will get 5% off any of your purchases, just for stopping by.

 

We will have quilt kits, fat quarters and I will demonstrating the twister mug rugs everyday all during the day.

Have a great day!

Martha

 

 

We have a winner!

Actually we had one yesterday....but the internet decided not to cooperate so I could post!
So without any more delay:

Flo@ButterflyQuilting
I started with rag quilts...but now am hooked on piecing...or trying to piece larger quilts!!
The book looks like something fun to try..thanks for the giveaway!
And I only wish I was going to Houston! So jealous!! Have an amazing time!! And then tell us all about it! :)

Congratulations Flo!  I am one of your followers from my blog and I so enjoy reading your posts.  I look forward to seeing what you do with the book Turning Twenty Slapplique by Tricia Cribbs and the fabric to make this block...

And I want ya'll to know that I took my camera yesterday so that I could take pictures at the shop...and when I got home realized I hadn't taken a one!  We were working like crazy preparing quilt kits to take to the show....and then I realized that I had put "less than 3 weeks we are going to market".  Well I don't know what calendar I was looking at but it was actually less than 11 days before we leave.  OMG!  I have to wash clothes, pack, finish up everything at my "real" job and make arrangements for everything at my house to be taken care of.....EIGHT DAYS in Houston....this means I have to pack double of everything I usually pack and sack up twice as much cat food as I normally get ready.  (I have a lot of feral cats out of doors that I feed and I can't let them not eat while I am gone.)

But good things happened too!  BP who has been feeling a little under the weather rode with me to the quilt shop and brought the quilt she had finished for the shop sample....wait til you see it!  I promise I will go by today or tomorrow and take a picture.  It is beautiful.  She whipped out her little featherweight and went to work on her tiny blocks of last year's BOM.

Patti (our little energizer bunny) was cutting fabric and packaging quilt kits with the help of Nydia.  Then when they took a break after lunch I taught both of them how to make a twister mug rugs.  Patti is leaving to go on another quilt retreat and she cut out all of the fabric she needed to sew up while she was there.

Mike was back to pick up his two quilts that Beth finished machine quilting for him and to make the binding for them so he could bind them on the plane home for a visit with his family and to see his new grandbaby.

Brenda had a family reunion to go to but she got us started and then helped us finish up when she got home.

We are going to have some beautiful quilt kits for sale in Houston.  But we are going to market too!  So we can bring back lots of ideas for 2013 at the shop.  I am so excited.  I always put too much on my plate after going to market.  So many talented beautiful people go to the festival.

Thanks to everyone who entered our contest and please keep visiting us to see what is happening.

Martha

Houston here we come.....

Less than 3 weeks away....

Houston here we come....

8 days of drooling....

 

fabric, patterns, kits, demonstrations, embellishments

and oh so gorgeous quilts.

 

I am so excited....can you tell?

 

Are you going?

 

I blogged about my latest adventure on my blog....

Living Life...One day at a time

 

Since I work full time I don't have time to finish a lot of complicated quilts....

enter rag quilts...

I can put them together...wash them...dry them...and I have a precious quilt.

 

When we were cleaning up at the shop the other day, Brenda found an entire box of books that she had forgotten about. I fell in love with the Strawberry Shortcake slapplique and I tried it. It was so easy and fast.

 

Turning Twenty Slapplique by Tricia Cribbs.

 

 

I love this fabric line, Olivia by Michele D'Amore for Benartex, Inc.

 

Beautiful and delicate handkerchiefs were the inspiration for this collection by Michele D’ Amore. Olivia has lush cabbage roses, elegant paisleys and plaids.

I could just see this soft antique looking fabric in a soft lap throw....

so I made a sample block.

 

By the way....Mamas Quilt Shop...has seven bolts of this wonderful fabric!

 

 

 

Now this is a 2009 book...but it is fabulous for those of us with small amounts of time.  There are 6 patterns in this book and all are easy to make.  Brenda is selling these for $12.00 plus shipping. 

 

But wait....don't tell Brenda...

I am giving away a copy!

And enough fabric to make your own sample block!

Just like mine!

Leave a comment on this post,

let me know if you like rag quilts or if you are going to Houston!

Easy peasy!

 

Now...if you have a little more time on your hands...

blog about our give-a-way and leave me a second comment telling me about it.

You will get two chances to win!

 

I will draw the winners name Saturday morning, October 20th at the quilt shop over coffee and donuts.

 

And that's not all....

visit us everyday until we leave for Houston to see what special we will be offering

or

what I will be giving away to some lucky blogger!

 

Have a great day!

 

 



Our new quilting friend....

 

Mike is a FEMA rep who is staying in Covington....

rather than sit around and waste his time while staying in a hotel...

he does this.  For the last two Saturdays he has joined us for a day of sewing...

He finished this beauty and made arrangments for it to be quilted and bound.

 

 

So glad he chose us to sew with!

 

Anyone can...come on down on Saturday, bring your sewing and enjoy the day with us.

 

Brenda missed this...she was at a Quilt show in Hattiesburg, Ms.

 

Oh....start watching our blog....we will be starting the countdown....

you know....Houston....

 

I am so excited!

Fall in Florida

Mother and daughter.....

 

 

Mother and daughter.....

 

Our Fall Florida Retreat was fabulous!

 

We packed up our bags and off we went....

We had a new guest this time....

 

Patti...the quilting version of the "Energizer Bunny"...

 

this woman just wouldn't quit....

 

look at this....

 



And don't let anyone tell you that quilting isn't a dangerous hobby...

but she kept on going....

 

Brenda was no slouch....

 

 

Kits are available at Mama's Quilt Shop...got to have one...or two....



 

She finished 3 and started on a fourth one...

 

Dawn was determined to finish her quilt....in between trips to the beach....

Isn't it beautiful!

 

And me....of course....

 

My twisters...

 

My rag quilt.....

 

And a sample of one I want to make....I am loving these rag quilts.

 

 

A little of this...

 

and a little of this....

 

And in case you doubted what I called her...this is a bird's eye view of Patti...sitting by the pool....in the hot sun....quilting a quilt while she was waiting on us to finish upstairs.

We had to do some serious cleaning...thread snippets were everywhere!

 

We really appreciate my boss,  Mr. Edward and his lovely wife, Janice for sharing their beautiful condo with us.  We are already planning our spring retreat.